Unknown Airfield Bunker Type Thing?

Thanks for all the replies folks, the bunker think with the round concrete top is still something of a mystery, best guess is that it is a pre war Battle HQ, I have had this also suggested to me by the pillbox study group so I went for that until I can find 100% proof elsewhere. The only reason why I doubt it as being a battle HQ is the location of it, in the trees next to the officers mess, where the cross is on this flashearth link; http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=52.874599&lon=0.663523&z=19.5&r=0&src=msl

I have Roderick McKenzies book and did see that the building was listed as a gas de-contamination block on the photograph caption, but on the plan the decontamination block is listed as being elsewhere, photographed by me here; http://www.airfields.fotopic.net/p49141919.html with the same drawing number (6224 of 1937).

Stupidly the only thing I didn’t photograph was the Squash Courts having said that I must do that, even when I was there I mentioned it – but me being me, forgot!! Oh well, another visit sometime is in order then!

Thanks again

Richard

Hi all – I contacted our resident museum pillbox expert who says….

I don’t know Bircham Newton but in
the absence of any other Battle HQ, that’s where I’d
put my money. There are a few odd designs about, often
constructed before the standard 11008/41 was drawn up
(in 1941 strangely). Some have quite small observation
turrets on top of Stanton shelters, others look more
like conventional pillboxes, as at North Weald.

It should be fairly easy to identify on the ground,
because the BHQ would need to have a good view over
most of the airfield, rather than a part of it in the
case of a pillbox.

If it’s not recorded then it should be as it is a
rarity.

Top find!

Cheers

TT

When can we expect it to be moved to Sywell, you won’t get away very easily with digging that one up in the middle of the night, unless of course you deal in ‘Lucky White Heather’.

Your first query and photo may have been a home guard lookout post.

Bri

Just been looking through Ghost Fields of Norfolk by Roderick Mckenzie. Published 2004.
Contains several photos of buildings at Bircham Newton. Nothing on concrete bunker though. But has a simplified map of buildings taken from 1996 Landranger 144 1:5000 ordnance survey map only two buildings shown near officers mess one is the officers garages the other the famous squash courts. Might show bunker on the original map.
A picture of the building of REF s pic no1, shown from a different angle, is the gas decontamination block. Drawing no 6224 of 1937.
The guard house shown at REF s http://www.airfields.fotopic.net/p49141829.html.
Which is dated 2008, has been altered since the photo in the book (pre 2004) was taken.
The four columns at the front were originally four pairs of ornate columns.
Description under photo in book. The attractive guard house, to drawing 166 of 1923 now has a rather more mundane function.
It was being used as Bircham Newton shop.

Richard

Hi all – I contacted our resident museum pillbox expert who says….

I don’t know Bircham Newton but in
the absence of any other Battle HQ, that’s where I’d
put my money. There are a few odd designs about, often
constructed before the standard 11008/41 was drawn up
(in 1941 strangely). Some have quite small observation
turrets on top of Stanton shelters, others look more
like conventional pillboxes, as at North Weald.

It should be fairly easy to identify on the ground,
because the BHQ would need to have a good view over
most of the airfield, rather than a part of it in the
case of a pillbox.

If it’s not recorded then it should be as it is a
rarity.

Top find!

Cheers

TT

Bircham’s main guard room had double pillars as Moggy said but also a pitched roof rather than the flat one shown. So i suspect that the photo is not of the guard room.

Neither is it the armoury (building 75) as this had the two storey photo section attached.

Building 95 was the water system booster pump house.

Spent some time at the CITB courses here!

Regards
Ross

Bircham still has the original Guard Room still standing (for now) here; http://www.airfields.fotopic.net/p49141829.html.

Interesting that when Action Stations 1 was published back in 1979 the Guard Room was shown in its guise as a Barclay’s bank, and with double pillars, that appear by the time the above image was shot to have been boxed in.

Moggy

I see that there is an open day at Bircham Newton tomorrow.They will probably have a site plan and some expert local knowledge http://www.rafbnmp.org.uk/

Blue door building..gas decontamination centre is my idea.

The one with the columns is the same as the old ration store at Coltishall – out the back of the Mess too.

The first one – generator house ?

Hi,
….your 2nd photie shows the station armoury. The majority of armouries are seperate buildings! The ‘squares’ you see at the front are the ‘hatches’ where weapons were issued out from.

The 3rd photie is a guardroom. Many pre-war stations had more than one guardroom! The main guardroom is obviously beside the main gate, but this one would depend where abouts on the station it was built. Obviously, it would have served other purposes such as a bulk naafi store – but there are no steel bars on the windows for it to have served this purpose! One old guardroom that i saw in the raf was originally a guardroom, but was at the time being used at the stations printing section!

hope this helps,

tim

My guess at the small white building would be main electrical distribution switchgear, note the transformer in the compound behind, and orange / red “tripped” indicator lamp on side of building. No large ventillation / air inlets or exhaust outlets make me feel its not a standby genny building. Keith.

The building with the four colums is behind the Airmens Mess and N.A.A.F.I, near one of the C-type Hangars which is the wrong place for the guard room, besides Bircham still has the original Guard Room still standing (for now) here; http://www.airfields.fotopic.net/p49141829.html.

I think the white building is too small for a Standby Set House.

I do have a couple of maps for Bircham Newton but these are not marked on. I’ll do a screenshot of google earth and mark them on, may be easier.

I think you may be right about the Battle HQ, but I have never seen one like that before, further investigation required on that front.

Richard

The building with 4 columns looks like a pretty bog-standard Guard Room to me. On some Stations the Guard Room also housed the Armoury, but on the bigger Stations the Station Armoury was often in a specially strengthened section of the buildings on either side of the Eng Wing hangar.
HTH
Resmoroh

First thing would be to contact Hendon to see if they have the airfield plan for the place ands if they have then get a copy. If it is a good copy then you will know what they were calling it back then.

Or you could contact the ARG (Airfield Research Group)

some of their members might know what it is off hand.

http://www.airfield-research-group.co.uk/

have fun. If you get the map I know that either Hendon or NA have the plan of the actual design of the building which will be coded on the map.

The building with the part buff coloured walls & 4 columns looks like an armoury.

Or a fire piquet post/guardroom. I’ve seen a ration store somewhere with a similar facade.

Definately not Hamilton Pickett hydraulic fort, very interesting though. There is a website that lists various forts, their design numbers and sometimes plans.

There are two concrete square bits that could either be ventilation shafts of entrances to the bunker thing.

There are a few other bits at Bircham Newton I am not sure on which are below, can anyone help with these as well?

The rest of my Bircham Newton photos are here;
http://www.airfields.fotopic.net/c1478766_1.html

Richard

The building with the part buff coloured walls & 4 columns looks like an armoury.

Hi,

I thought Battle Command HQ too.

There is the square concrete entrance filled with leaves, but at the 3 o’clock position on the photo is evidence of the other entrance. These two entrances look to be correctly positioned in relation to eachother to conform with the Battle Command post pattern Im familiar with, though as people are saying, I’ve never seen a design like that.

As for the other photos, the third one down, the white building, is it not a Standby Set House?

Regards,

S.

The size does not look right for a Hamilton Pickett.

I think this is a type of battle headquarters too.

Most of the pictures I have seen are a square shape with about 1 -2 feet above ground.
This one is round vent but not as big as you would imagine.

Most of the Hamilton Picketts have an access door on the roof. This one does not.
The only way I can see to enter this underground room is via the brick square to the left front of the vent. This is what leads me to think it’s a battle headquarters.

Brian.